


what's in a name

by dupergal



Category: THE iDOLM@STER, THE iDOLM@STER: SideM
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Barista Teru, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Pilot Tsubasa, SideM Anthology 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:47:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24987799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dupergal/pseuds/dupergal
Summary: Since they first met, Teru has been teasing his pilot crush Tsubasa by calling him different names when he orders his vanilla latte. But Tsubasa has a trick up his sleeve to make sure Teru remembers his name, once and for all.[written for the SideM Anthology 2020]
Relationships: Kashiwagi Tsubasa/Tendou Teru
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	what's in a name

**Author's Note:**

> written for the SideM Anthology 2020! i'm so happy to be part of this project, and a big thanks to [Nerav](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerav/pseuds/nerav) who put this whole thing together to raise everyone's spirits!
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy, and I hope this small fic brings you a little bit of joy today! <3
> 
> [[also you can check out the anthology here!]](bit.ly/3eDPFF4)

There’s something about working at the airport that makes Teru feel content. Perhaps it’s the constant movement of people coming and going that energizes him, keeps his hands flying over cups and pens and the familiar heft of the portafilter. Or maybe it’s thinking about all the different lives he touches during the week simply by smiling and placing a hot drink into the hands of a tired traveller, leaving Teru feeling like he’s improved their life in some tiny way that only he can. 

He wipes his hands on his apron and lets out a satisfied sigh, leaning his back against the counter. Big waves of customers are exhausting no matter how much you love your job, he supposes. At the other end of the counter, his co-worker lets out a much wearier sigh as he lifts the counter door to step out.

“I’m going for a smoke,” Amehiko tells him, running one hand through his slicked hair. “Try not to get in trouble while I’m gone.”

“Me? Get in trouble?” Teru tries to look hurt but he can feel the grin tugging at the corner of his lips. “I would never, Amehiko!” 

“Yeah, yeah whatever, I’ll see you in five,” Amehiko waves his hand dismissively, not even bothering to look at Teru anymore, and walks out the open door of the cafe into the sea of departing travellers.

Being in an airport, the fluctuations of people coming and going are nearly as structured and scheduled as the Departures board. The cafe becomes quiet after Amehiko leaves, its occupants dwindled down to only a few businessmen tapping at their laptops in the corner. Teru lets himself hum quietly along to the cafe’s music as he goes about tidying up after a rush.

He’s in the middle of sweeping espresso grounds off the counter and into the compost when he hears someone gently clear their throat at the register.

Teru pops his head out from behind the espresso machine curiously, before his face splits into an enormous smile.

“Ah, Tsukasa!” Teru says, teasing him with a wink. “Good morning!” 

Tsubasa is standing at the counter in uniform, the creases in his white pilot’s shirt crisp and clean, his blue eyes somehow gentle and bright at the same time. He holds his hat against his chest with one big hand, because of course he’s the type of person to take off his hat whenever he enters a shop, even if it’s just a tiny cafe in the airport he flies out of. 

The name was a running joke from the first day Tsubasa had walked into the cafe a month ago and ordered a large vanilla latte and two breakfast sandwiches. Teru had been so flustered by Tsubasa’s cuteness that he’d accidentally written “Tsukasa” on the cup. He doesn’t think he’ll ever live down the confusion and chaos of that morning, nor will his head recover from the solid smack Amehiko had given him afterwards, chiding him for getting distracted by good-looking pilots. 

Since then, Teru’s been making up different, incorrect names for Tsubasa every time he comes in. He couldn’t help himself: Tsubasa was easy to tease, and seeing his cheeks become dusted with pink every time made his heart flip. Not unlike now, when he can already see colour rising to Tsubasa’s face with just a simple greeting.

Teru absentmindedly rubs the back of his head and reaches for a cup with his other hand. “It’s good to see you! Would you like your usual?” 

Tsubasa smiles in that soft, polite way that he does, ducking his head down slightly in agreement. “Yes please, Teru-san.” Teru can see him looking at him a little bit through his lashes, and it makes his heart skip a beat. 

_Calm down Tendou,_ he scolds. He breaks his gaze away from Tsubasa’s face to uncap a marker and scribble the codes for a vanilla latte onto the cup, a force of habit even if he’s probably going to be making it himself anyway. Something makes him hesitate in writing the name on the cup, however, the dark tip of the marker hovering tantalizingly over the smooth white surface. 

Teru holds out the marker and cup just slightly towards Tsubasa, grinning as he says, “Can I get your name for the cup?”

He expects the usual to happen, for Tsubasa to blush and smile and kindly correct him with a joking, “geez Teru-san, shouldn’t you know this already?”

So Teru can only stand frozen in place as Tsubasa leans slightly over the counter, reaches over to clasp Teru’s marker hand in his own, and shakily uses Teru’s hand to write “Tsubasa” in hiragana on the cup.

Tsubasa looks up then and takes in Teru’s wide eyes and slack face. Their eyes lock together, and at this distance Tsubasa feels close enough that Teru could lean forward and kiss him, if he felt like he actually had any function left in his body. Tsubasa’s face flushes deep and dark then, and he stumbles back from the counter, releasing Teru’s hand so he can clap both of his hands over his mouth. His hat drops unceremoniously to the floor with a dull _thud_. Teru still feels frozen, his brain processing coming to nearly a complete halt as he continues to hold the marker and cup in front of him, as he can still feel the phantom warmth of Tsubasa’s hand on his own, the place where a few strands of Tsubasa’s hair brushed gently on his forehead.

“Oh my god Teru-san, I’m so sorry! I don’t know what came over me!” Tsubasa cries out. His voice is muffled behind his hands, but Teru can hear the genuine worry. “I just… really wanted to make sure you knew my name…”

All of a sudden, Teru’s brain comes back online again. He quickly sets the marker and cup down and leans so far over the counter that he has to get up on his tip-toes, all so he can reach out and grasp Tsubasa’s wrists. He pulls Tsubasa’s hands off his mouth gently, and gives him a toothy grin.

“Of course I know your name, you come here nearly every day! But you’re just so easy to tease, I couldn’t help myself.” Tsubasa swiftly looks away, but Teru can see the reddening tips of his ears. “Plus, you’re so cute, this was the only way I could think of to keep your attention. So I’m sorry if you felt upset by that,” Teru gives him a sheepish look as Tsubasa brings his gaze back to meet Teru’s eyes.

“Teru-san…”

“So…” Teru says, letting go of Tsubasa’s hand and picking up the marker again, and with a wink asks, “This time, could I get your number for the cup, Tsubasa?”

**Author's Note:**

> [pls come yell at me on twitter about sidem](https://twitter.com/dupergal)


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